Until It's Gone
by TimelessAppeal
Summary: Jack and Erica find themselves using other people they care about to make each other jealous. Can they ever move on? Will they ever be able to let go of each other? Can they reconcile? Or will they continue to stay where they are? Main Characters Involved: Erica/Caleb, Jack/Krystal.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note**__: Just as an FYI this is the first time I've ever written Caleb, and the first time I've ever written a Caleb, Jack and Erica fic. _

_Feedback, good or bad, is always welcome._

**Chapter 1**

"Dorothy!" She heard him as soon as he walked through the Fusion elevator, "What's with that bright light as soon as you walk in?" he asked, holding his hand in front of his face to try to block out the bright, purple and white light, "Stupid idea. You're gonna blind someone and then they're going to sue you." Caleb (Cooney) Courtlandt or whatever name he was going by these days complained.

The woman behind the table sighed and rolled her eyes, "Can't you ever be positive? I've been waiting here forever. The least you could do was tell me I look nice." Erica Kane as she fluffed her hair one last time.

"Dorothy, you look nice. Now let's go." He replied.

She sighed, it was going to be a long night, "Well I don't want to do this anymore than you do. So let's go and get this over with."

"I thought you loved parties..." He said, sarcastically.

"It's not the party that's the problem." She ignoring him and walking right to the elevator.

"Jack, why aren't you ready?" Krystal asked, frustrated with her current love interest. "The launch party for the 'new and improved' Courtlandt Electronics is literally less than fifteen minutes!" She said, handing him his jacket.

He sighed, he knew he'd have to run into Erica. He said he'd always support her, but that was harder than you'd think.

"I'll be there, I just need to finish these last few paragraphs." He said, knowing that she knew he could put that off until morning.

"Fine. I'm going to go finish up, just try to hurry up - please." She said, walking back up the stairs like a teenager who has just been grounded from a party.

*  
Eventually Caleb gave up and told Erica to have her little launch party, but without all the 'glam.' Oh that's right, he must have forgotten he was talking to Erica Kane... the Queen of well … anything and everything.

Caleb lent his arm to Erica, knowing they were already late...that's how Erica wanted it to be. Fashionably late.

"Erica!" Ryan exclaimed, "You look beautiful!" He smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, Caleb's eyes watching every move he made.

"Mmm. Thank you," she smiled, "You look great. Where's Greenlee?" She immediately asked, she wanted to know if she was going to have to put Greenlee in her place... for the sixth time that month.

Ryan laughed, "She's home. She didn't think it'd be appropriate to come."

"Appropriate?" Erica started, Caleb quickly turned her attention elsewhere.

"Let's go check on the cake." Caleb said.

"Well it's good to see you finally showed up!" Opal exclaimed loudly, causing Caleb to roll his eyes. "Fashionably late only works for my best gal pal!"

"Oh Opal, you look... great!" she smiled, keeping her thoughts about Opal's over-the-top style to herself.

"Well, did you see Jackson yet?" She asked, obviously not so subtly hinting that Jack and Erica should be a couple.

"No... actually I, I didn't know that he was coming. I guess he's so busy that can't take the time to RSVP for anything." Okay, so that was a lie... a complete lie. But she couldn't let him know she wanted him here. He needed to chase after her, not the other way around. She took another sip of her drink and willed herself to stop thinking about him.

*  
"Oh come on, it'll be fun," Krystal said, knowing Jack was dreading this event.

"Krystal, I'm really swamped with work. Let's just go in, make an appearance and leave. This is unnecessary, I have nothing to do with this side of the business. I just handle the legal paperwork, we shouldn't have to show up." He snarled.

Krystal sighed. Was he really that infatuated with Erica that he couldn't just focus on having a nice night out with her? Sure it was also Erica's launch party, and Erica was going to be there - but for heaven's sake they live in a close vicinity, they were bound to run into each other at one point. They were supposed to be there for Caleb anyway, but of course for some reason Erica had such a hold on Jack, and he was going to focus on her the whole night.

"Listen," she smiled trying to keep the mood light, "if you aren't having any fun within 30 minutes we will leave."

"I'll hold you to that," Jack half-smiled as he lent his arm to Krystal as they walked through the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: **__You'll notice that in these first few chapters, a few things might be out of character. I've only really written Erica so these characters are new to me. Please feel free to comment and suggest changes! Feedback is always great! Sorry for the sporadic posting - a lot has been going on lately. Real life has gotten in the way. :(_

Krystal smiled as she held onto Jack's arm. Clearly this party was more Erica than Caleb, it wasn't your typical launch party for electronics, then again - this wasn't really Erica's expertise, she was glitz and glam. She was into all of that 'girly' stuff that appalled Krystal most of the time.

Krystal's idea of a party was much different from Erica's idea of a party - Erica definitely pulled out all of the stops and then some. She shook her head at the ridiculous cake, who even needed a cake at a launch party? She sighed and looked to her right and tried to focus on her date, who looked very uncomfortable.

"Hey, buck up already!" she smiled, "You said it yourself, we at least have to make an appearance, okay? I'm here to support Caleb, once we see him and make a few rounds- we can leave."

"Interacting with Caleb," Jack said, taking a sip of champagne the waiter offered him, "this evening just keeps getting better and better."

"Look at me," Krystal said standing in front of him, "Just focus on us, forget everyone else."

He half-heartedly smiled, he could honestly say he'd never dated anyone like Krystal Carey.

Erica turned around only to see him standing in the doorway. He was in a black suit, with a plain blue tie. His hair was the perfect shade of blonde, and his blue eyes were piercing, almost intimidating when he fixed them on something - no matter what he said, she could tell what he was really thinking by locking his eyes with hers. Her eyes trailed lower to his lips, his lips were a perfect shade of pink - she was almost in awe of him.

After observing Erica for quite a long time, Opal decided to speak up.

"Oh will you stop looking at him and go over there already?" Opal said, giggling as Erica jumped after being ripped from her thoughts.

"Looking at who?" Erica asked, clearing his throat a little trying to ignore the fact that she was caught staring at her ex-husband.

"At who? Who are you trying to fool, girlfriend. You've got the hots for Jackson Montgomery, for heaven's sake the whole town has knows that." Opal said, before fixing her bangles which made a clinking sound every time she moved, reminding Erica she wasn't alone.

"I do not! Opal that is absurd, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Erica snapped.

Opal smiled, "Alright, alrighty I will go bother Caleb. But you better do somethin' quick before you run out of time."

Run out of time? Jack had always come back to Erica - he wasn't in love with Krystal. They probably wouldn't even last five months. Or would they? Had Jack really moved on? She shook her head, no, that wasn't possible. Jack would never move on with Krystal…

She turned around only to catch Jack staring at her.

"Hi," he said as he kissed her cheek.

She looked stunning, Jack thought. Her black dress hugging just the right places, leaving certain things to the imagination. She managed to be a perfect mix of classy and sexy. He took another sip of his champagne, there was something about her that he was drawn to. He had to remind himself he was here with Krystal - he wasn't here to get Erica back, he was here to have a nice evening out with the woman he claimed to love. Now, if only he could tear his eyes off of Erica.

Before he could say another word, Krystal caught site of Jack and Erica together. That woman always had her eyes on him, no matter who she was with. When Jack came to her after their breakup, he admitted they tried and tried and tried and they just couldn't make it work. She didn't trust them to be 'just friends' it always had to be more with those two. She wasn't going to let Erica take Jackson from her.

"Hi, Erica." Krystal said, putting on her best smile. "Uh, Jack can I borrow you for a moment?" She said as she pulled him away from Erica, she didn't really care what his answer was.

"Sure." He said before promising Erica that he would talk to her later.

"Maybe you're right, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Krystal said, noting the way Jackson looked at Erica.

"No," he said firmly, "we're here - we might as well have a good time." He reached out for her arm before heading back towards the party.


End file.
